Psalms 78:61

61 He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.

Psalms 78:61 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:61

And delivered his strength into captivity
That is, the ark, called his strength, and the ark of his strength, ( Psalms 105:4 ) ( 132:8 ) , because it was a token of his strength, and by means of which he displayed it, as when the Israelites passed through Jordan into Canaan's land, and encompassed the city of Jericho; and besides, it was typical of Christ, the man of God's right hand, made strong for himself, and in whom is strength as well as righteousness for his people; now this was delivered up into the hands of the Philistines, and carried captive, ( 1 Samuel 4:11 ) . The Targum renders it, "his law", because the two tables of the law were in the ark; so Jarchi interprets it, the ark and the tables:

and his glory into the enemy's hand;
which designs the same thing, the ark being the glory of God, over which upon the mercy seat the glorious majesty of the Lord was; hence Phinehas's wife, when she heard the ark was taken, fell into labour, her time being near, and brought forth a son, and called him Ichabod, saying, the glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken, ( 1 Samuel 4:21 1 Samuel 4:22 ) .

Psalms 78:61 In-Context

59 When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel.

60 Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.

61 He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.

62 He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword, because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.

63 Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs.